Over the last 20 years, there have been many innovations in technology that have changed the way that consumers find information. Due to this, marketers have had to change their approach on how they engage their target audience. These innovations include the release of the first smartphone in 1994, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The introduction of these electronic platforms also ushered in the decline of print media and an astronomical rise of content marketing.
However, marketers have had to find new ways to reach their target audience due to internal changes at Google. Google’s search data, which was previously made available to the public, became secured and private information as of 2012. Due to this, marketers have had to change their approach yet again by bringing their target audience into the creation process, as well as utilize new platforms such as Vine and Instagram to engage consumers. These are unique in that they restrict video duration to approximately 15 seconds, yet are 4 times more likely to be shared than any other online video.
Where will it go from here? Some predictions point to increased importance of content creation, video marketing and diversification of social media. As new platforms with unique user interfaces are released and rise in prominence, the game of marketing can change yet again.
